Combination sheet straightener and slow-down for feeders.



G. A MARTIN.

GOMBINATIOIi SHEET STRAIGHTENER AND SLOW-DOWN FOR PEEDERS Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1912;

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G. A. MARTIN. COMBINATION SHEET STRAIGHTENER AND SLOW-DOWN FOR FEEDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1912v Patented Aug. 26,1913.

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G. A. MARTIN. COMBINATION SHEET STRAIGHTENER AND SLOW-DOWN FOR FEBDERS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1912v 1,071,448. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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G. A. MARTIN. COMBINATION SHEET STBAIGHTENER AND SLOW-DOWN FOR PEEDERS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1912.

1 ,071 ,448, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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, G. A. MARTIN.

COMBINATION SHEET STRAIGHTENER AND SLOW-DOWN FDR FEEDBRS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1912.

1,071,448. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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. 1 GEORGE A. MARTIN, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' COMBINATION SHEET STRAIGHTENER AND SLOW-DOWN FOR FEEDERS.

To'all whom, it may concern lie it known that I, (ino'non A. MARTIN, a citizen of the. Uni'ted States, residing at .Pearl ,River, in the county of Rockland, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Sheet Straighteners and Slow -1)owns for Feeders, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

This invention relates to a devicefor straightening a sheet and slowing down the same as it passes through a feeding machine, and contemplates an improved construction, cmnbination and arrangement of parts in devices of this character, in which -laterally spaced grippers are reciprocably mounted and placed under the control of pendulums disposed in the path of the for ward edge of a sheet as it passes through the feeding machine.

'ljheprimary object of this invention is to ])l'()\i( an improved mechanism of this characteii in which the parts shall be positively actuated in efl'et'vting the slowing down and's'traightening movements and to providp means for interrupting a positive actuation of the parts.

'llpward the attainment of this object, my iuwnlion contemplates the, provision of a recifi) "ocating carriage upon which the grippergi mounted, a carriage actuating mechanipn which is capable of being automaticall'y released at a predetermined point in .thet avel of the gripper in definite relation to it] position of the sheet in the feeding mahine, and a positively operated device devices embodying my invention, the partswh ch will interrupt the movement of the ca 'iage when the front edge of the sheet ches a predetermined position.

)ther and further objects will appear in the specification and be specifically pointed out it the appended claims, reference being had t the aeeompanying drawings exem: plifving my invention, and in which Figure l is a side elevation of one of the being shown. in suitable positions to permit the sheet to enter .the grippers; Fig. 2 is a similar elevation .from the other side of the same device; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the grippers'closed upon the sheet; Fig. 4 is a' similar 'view showing the posi tions of the parts in an advanced stage of the machinesoperation; Fig. 5 is.an enlarged top plan view of the; mechanism with Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 2, 1912. Serial No. 694,754.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

3 for supporting a tie red at, rearwardly pro-v ecting arms 5 for carrying a tie rod (5 and upwardly projecting arms 7 for journaling a rock shaft 8. The rock shaft 8 is provided with a crank arm S), which serves to oscillate the shaft- 8 under the act on of a power transmitting rod 10. Keyei pending end is mounted a bent operating lever, said lever being journaled intermedi ately of its ends upon a pin 12, which pror jects laterally from the arm 11, thus pro viding spring arm 13, which isiconnected' by a spring 14, with a pin 15 ,projecting laterally from the arm 11, and a carriage actuating arm 16, which has a 'Tin 17 projecting laterally from its rear extremity. Laterally spaced brackets 18 for supporting the sheettripping mechanism, are carried by the tie rods 1 and G. Secured to each of said brackets in any suitable nu 'nner, such as by the screw 19, is a beveled tr ick bar 20, which projects rearwardly and serves to reciproeably mount a carriage 2r, which is provided with a dovetailed groovefor this purpose.

Mountedupon the arriagegl, is a gripper supporting yoke 22, which i gpreferably provided with a pad 23, whh h is secured to the carriage 21 by means of a screw 24. .An anvil or lower clamping foot 25 is provided with a stem 26, adpistably mounted in the lower branch of the yoke 22. The upper clamping foot. 27 with its pivot point 28, is'

provided with a stem 29, whiclris recipro-' cably mounted in the upper branch of the l to the rock shaft 8 is an arm 11, upon whose d124,;

yoke 22, undertlie action of a compression spring 30'. -As shown best in Fi 5, the upper end of the stem 29. is'provi ed with a laterally projecting pin 31, which carries an anti-friction roller 32, which cooperates with a cam plate 30, which is rigidly supported on-themcar end of the track bar 20, and serves to hold the elampin foot 27 in raised position at certain periods of the operation.

In order to adapt the carriage 21 to be reciprocated by the oscillating lever 13, 16, a notch 34 in the upper edge of said carriage is adapted to receive the pin 17 which rides along a bearing plate 35"'when not 'epga'gin-g said notch. An abutment block which projects 'ppwardly :from the carriage 21 is provided with a forwardly projecting nose 36, which serves to prevent premature disengagement of the pin 17 from the notch 34.

Secured to the lateral face of the track bar 20 by means of studs 37, is a cam bar38 which is provided with angular slots 39 to permit said cam bar to be raised and lowered on the studs 37 in the manner to be hereinafter pointed out. The rear end of the cam bar 38 is provided with a post 40 to adapt said cam bar to be moved rearwardly by the cam roller 32-on the upper end of the stem 29 of the gripper. The forward end of the cam'bar 38 is likewise provided with a post 41 which is suitably disposed to be engaged by the pin 17 on the operating lever 13, 16. In the upper end of the post 41 is a laterally projecting pin 42.

which moves in a slot 43 in the rear end of a pendulum displacing connecting rod 44. As shown best in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the pendulum 45 depends from the bearing block 46 of a ratchet dog 47, said bearing block 46 being'swingingly mounted on a pin 48, which projects from the upper portion of a pendulum supporting bracket 49, which is adjustably mounted on the forward end of the bracket 18, by means of a stud 50, which is threaded into the bracket 49 and moves in a slot 51 in the forward end of said bracket 18. A stud 52 (see Fig. 2) projects laterally from the opposite side of the bracket 49, and serves to j'ournal a gear pinion. 53, which is rigid with a ratchet 54. A rack on the forward end of a rack bar 56 meshes with the inion 53 and serves to impart motion to'said ratchet when thedog 47 is disengaged'therefrom. A reciprocable camplate 57, shownbest in-Fig. 2, has its forward end connected with the rack bar 56.

The plate 57 is provided with aslot 58 in which a stud 59 slides, fsaid stud being threaded into'the carriage 21. The forward end of the rack bar 56 is preferably mounted between guide rollers 60. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the reciprocating plate 57 is provided with acam roller recess 61, over which the pin 32 with its anti-friction roller is drawn when the movement of the rack bar 56 is interru ted, in the manner to be hereinafter pointe out. The plate 57 is also provided at the rear end of the recess 61 with a part circular recess 62, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The operation of the device will now be understood and briefly stated is as follows: Referring first to Fig. 1, as the connecting rod 10 moves the crank arm 9 forwardly, the rock shaft 8 swings the arm 11 in the same direction and carries with it the operating link 13, 16, the roller on the pin 17 being so'cketed in the notch 34 of the carriage 21, as well as engaging behind the part circular recess 62, as indicated'in Figs. 1 and 2. in consequence both the carriage 21 and the reciprocating plate 57 partake of the forward movement of the roller carried by the pin 17. The gripper which travels with the car'- riage 21 causes the cam roller 32 to be released from the cam block 30 shortly after this movement has begun, thus permitting the jaws of the gripper to close upon the sheet 63, which is being passed through the feeding machine. Immediately the movement of the sheet 63 is'retarded under the action of the gripper which continues the forward movement of the sheet under reduced speed until the parts approximately reach the positions shown in Fig. 3. Shortly before this, the forward edge of the sheet 63 has come into contact with the pendulum 45 and caused the dog 47 to drop into engagement with the ratchet 54, thus interrupting the forward movement of the rack bar 56 and the reciprocating plate 57. As the forward movement of the operating link 13, 16 continues, the roller on the pin 17 rides over the forward corner of the part circular reeess 62 and traverses recess 61. At the same time, the stud 59 travels along the slot 58, the scope of this movement being suttieient to bring the front edge of the sheet 63 against the front gage 64 preparatory to its being engaged by the grippers of the press or other machine. WVhen the stud 59 reaches the forward end of the slot 58 the movement of the carriage 21 is interrupted and that edge of the sheet 63 which corresponds to the particular device, comes to rest against the front gage 64. If the same stage has not been reached on the other side of the feeding machine, the other edge of the sheet 63 continues to be shoved forward until it also rests against its front gage 64 when the sheet will be in perfect register. A continuation in the forward movement of the operating link 13, 16 causes the ,cam roller on the pin 17 to mount the rear corner of the wear plate 35. Eventually the roller on the pin 17 strikes the post 41 and imparts a forward movement to the cam bar 38,- which by reason of its pin and slot connecend of the slot 42 in the rear end of the pendulum displacing'rod 44. As a result, the pendulum 45 is. raised into the position shown in Fig. 4 and out of the path of the sheet as it is drawn from the feeding machine by the grippers of the printing press or other machine. An explanation of Fig. 4 will show that the return movement of the gripper takes place with the cam roller 32 traveling in line with the upper edge of the cam block 30 so that at the end of the return movement, said gripper is maintained in open position ready for the following sheet. At the same time the roller 32 before the completion of its rearward movement, strikes the rear post 40 and imparts a rearward movement to the cam bar 38 with the result that said cam bar is forced downwardly by the studs 37 traveling in the slots 39.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a releasable gripping device, means for moving said device, said means being adapted to be automatically disengaged from the gripping device and means disposed in the path of said device moving means for releasing said gripping device.

2. In a device of the character described, a releasable gripping device vrovided with means whereby said device may be moved and other means whereby said device may be actuated to open or close it, and means adapted to successively engage the means whereby the device is'moved and the means whereby the device is opened or closed.

In a device of the character described, laterally spaced slow down grippers adapted to separately engage the lateral edges of a sheet, means for positively actuating each of said grippers, a pendulum disposed in the path of the forward edge of said sheet, and means operated by said pendulum for separately terminating the positive actuation of each of said grippers.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a reciprocable gripper with a movable jaw, a cam plate for sustaining said jaw in raised position in rearmost position of said gripper, an actuating cam .movement, a track bar for said gripper, and

a cam bar for raising said jaw at the end of its forward movement, said cam bar having a cam-like pin and slot connection with said track bar.

6. In a device of the character described, a releasable gripping device, means for releasing sald device, and means normally disconnected from said releasing means for moving said device, said device moving means having a lost motion attachment with said device to adapt it to independently release said gripping device.

7. In a device of the character described, a gripping device adapted to be actuated to successively engage and release a sheet, means for moving said device bodily, said means being automatically detachable from said device and means for actuating said gripping device, said actuating means being operatively engaged by said device moving means subsequently to the automatic detachment from said device.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable gripper comprising a fixed and a movable jaw, a cam bar capable of an endwise movement relative to said fixed jaw and adapted by such movement to be raised and lowered, said cam bar being operatively connected to said movable jaw of the gripper, and an actuating lever having a part successively and periodically engaging said cam bar.

GEORGE A. MARTIN. 

